Let's Keep Christmas

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

The Christmas lights and decorations are switched on along Orchard Road in Singapore for the festive season. The shops are loaded with goods and the streets aglow with Christmas decorations. Christmas is celebrated all over the world, the holiday and the most wonderful time of the year! It is celebrated by everybody; no matter one’s beliefs or culture.

BeckyAge2@Orchard Road, 1986

Now in its 40th year, Christmas on our shopping street is an annual light-up that transforms Orchard Road into a festive wonderland. 1985 was the first time Orchard Road was lit up. The Lee Family strolled down the brightly coloured streets when Rebecca was only 2 years old. 

There is a reason for this obsession with lights. This time of year in the Northern Hemisphere is the winter solstice. It is cold, damp, dark and dingy; the same conditions prevailed on that first Christmas in Bethlehem dark and dreary.

People needed something to lift up their spirits in the darkest day of winter which this year fell on 22nd December. On this day, the Chinese celebrate the Tang Yuan Festival by eating glutinous balls filled with peanuts, sesame seeds, or red beans in sweet peanut, almond or ginger soup. The Scandinavians celebrate 'Yule' with light and warmth at which time they burn the largest logs they could find to bathe in the warmth and light of the communal fire. They would cut down fir trees, the evergreens, and brought these trees into their homes to remind themselves that life persisted even in the darkest of times. 

Photo by Martin Ruegner on Getty Images

The Romans celebrated Saturnalia on the 25th Dec, a time of revelry in honour of the sun god. By the fourth century, the Christians had turned this pagan holiday from the feast day of the risen sun to that of the risen Son.

Modern traditions of Christmas are the carols, cards and Santa Clauses. Rudolph the red nose reindeer was a story written for the departmental store chain, Montgomery Ward to attract shoppers to its shops. The joy of opening gifts is a gleeful moment of every Christmas day. It is a sheer delight to see the glow and sparkle in little children's eyes when they open up their gifts. The glitter and the glow of this very commercial Christmas season entices people into believing that the message of Christmas is good tidings and good cheer for everyone. 

Now what is wrong with that? Isn't this the fulfillment of the prophecy of great joy which the angels gave to the shepherds? This joy and celebration is not a bad thing, it goes back to the sources of these holidays where at such times of cold, damp and loneliness people have needs. This year, 2023 especially, there is hardly anything nor any reason to celebrate with two major wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. Covid-19 keeps coming back keeping us indoors and away from the crowds. 

But a celebration, both sacred and secular help relieve the stresses of these times. So, Christmas has become a cultural tradition for everyone, every year. I hope that this will not change for many more generations to come.

It is true that the commercialization of the Christmas can confuse its central message. What is Christmas all about?  In a Charlie Brown cartoon video, Linus  answers this question in a his most imitable manner.

Let us keep in mind the central message of Christmas - Christ came from heaven to earth and by His birth, God dwells among us. Share the good news! All religions teach of the hunger for God. What is uniquely Christian is that God reaches out to establish a warm and personal relationship. Emmanuel - God with us.

Worship of Shepherds 1539 Bronzino

'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' is an English Christmas carol written by Charles Wesley and George Whitfield in 1739. Charles Wesley was inspired by the sounds on church bells while walking to church on Christmas day. He started the first stanza with the words 'Hark.' His compatriot George Whitfield came up with closing phrase, 'the newborn King.' The current tune is adapted from Felix Mendelssohn's cantata, Festagang.

As we sing carols this Christmas, let us take the time to think about the message of the songs and the truths they proclaim. We can then join the Wesleys in singing "Glory to the newborn King.

1. Hark! The herald angels sing,
   “Glory to the newborn King;
   Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
   God and sinners reconciled!”
   Joyful, all ye nations rise,
   Join the triumph of the skies;
   With th’angelic host proclaim,
   “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
   • Refrain:
     Hark! the herald angels sing,
     “Glory to the newborn King!”
2. Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
   Christ the everlasting Lord;
   Late in time, behold Him come,
   Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
   Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
   Hail th’incarnate Deity,
   Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
   Jesus our Emmanuel.
3. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
   Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
   Light and life to all He brings,
   Ris’n with healing in His wings.
   Mild He lays His glory by,
   Born that man no more may die;
   Born to raise the sons of earth,
   Born to give them second birth.

So let's be inspired like Charles Wesley and celebrate Jesus' birthday. Come on Ring those Bells

Merry Christmas!

Lionel

Updated First published 25 Dec 2007

Similar posts on Contemplation

https://contemplation-lionel.blogspot.com/2022/12/peace-and-goodwill-to-all-men.html

https://contemplation-lionel.blogspot.com/2021/12/i-heard-bells-on-christmas-day.html

https://contemplation-lionel.blogspot.com/2020/12/what-can-i-give-to-him.html

Simplify Yourself

 

'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.' Matthew 18:2-3

The opening episodes of 'The Chosen' the multi-season drama series on the life of Jesus Christ contrasted the simple minded attitudes of little children ( Season 1 Episode 3) towards Jesus with the confused, complexity of the Pharisaical mind of Nicodemus (Season 1 Episode 8) trying to understand Jesus. Nicodemus approached his faith in a highly intellectual manner; the children accepted Jesus with childlike faith. The series devoted an entire episode on the interaction of Jesus with a group of children, how he accepted them and how he gently taught them. Why?

The contrast between the cynical questioning adult to the innocent acceptance of the child believer underscores the need for simplicity in the heart of every Christian as we exercise our faith. Bishop Robert Solomon, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for Urban Christian (Ref 1) selected Simplicity as one of six spiritual disciplines. Bishop said this is the quality of being single hearted, 'the simplicity of having one heart that is not divided or fragmented, one that has no duplicity.'

Christians are to serve God with an undivided heart.

'Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forevermore.' Psalms 86:11-12

Christianity is not so much a religion of the mind as it is a religion of the heart. St Paul warned that we are not to be confused with the theoretical doctrines but practical simplicity of a loving heart.

'We won't be tossed and blown about with every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever that they sound like truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more like Christ.' Ephesians 4:14-15a (NLT)

Bishop Solomon wrote that 'the undivided mind is focused on Christ. James warns us against being double-minded.' 

'Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as the wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.' James 1:6

'Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.' James 1:8

This is the simplicity of serving God alone of having a childlike faith. But living in the modern world especially in affluent Singapore can be very distracting. There is too much to buy, too much to possess, too much to hoard that modern Christians can end up serving two Masters, God and Mammon. 

That is why Bishop Solomon suggested that we continually ask, "Where is my treasure?" He wrote, "Our heart (which in the Bible is the personal centre of our will, emotion and reason) will be where we hold our treasures."

Dallas Willard (Ref 2) wrote, "... love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. It means to treasure Him..Our only wisdom, safety and fulfillment lies in so treasuring God."

So let us make life simple, Jesus loves the little children of the world.  

Lionel

Ref 1: Robert M Solomon, Spiritual Disciplines for Urban Christians, Genesis Books, 2021

Ref 2: Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. HarperSanFrancisco, 1998.

My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me

'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.' John 10:14a

My Christian brother, Dr Koh Hai Yong, once made this comment, "Oftentimes we as parents are overly anxious about our children. Are they doing well in school? Are they mixing with the right company? Are we providing enough for them? Then, this thought came to my mind – no matter how much we love and are concerned about our children, God loves them and cares for them infinitely more. I am emancipated!" 

Hai Yong's comment reminded me of this picture that my father in law the late Rev Kao gave us. It was a picture that hung on the family wall for many years. I chose this picture amongst many that he wanted to pass on to his children because at that time the song "My heavenly father watches over me" came to mind. This picture somehow gave me much comfort that I am under the watchful eyes of Jesus. The realisation that Jesus loves us including our young children, frees us from any anxiety of growing up in an unknown future.

John 10:14-16 states

'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.' 

We used to sing the song 'there were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold, but one was lost on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.' The song went on to indicate how Jesus the Good Shepherd will go out of His way to search for the lost sheep. 

Hai Yong was exactly right, we Christian parents can rest in the assurance that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Let me share with you one email I wrote to the my girls on 20 Oct 2001 when the world was filled with uncertainty. As parents, with children living far away in UK and Australia, what else can we do but to trust in the Good Shepherd? This email went, 

"Psalms 65:2 reads 'O You (referring to God) who hear prayer, to YOU all men will come.' Just one month ago, we witnessed a dastardly terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre, New York. Now, there are the Anthrax letters attacks on Washington DC. These are times of uncertainty. No one knows what the terrorists might do. Should we not turn to God?

Psalms 65: 9 says, 'You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly.' This verse is really encouraging. Despite what these evil men can do, they cannot compete with the restoration God provides. God will heal the land. All they can do is create trouble, some mischief. Soon it will pass and they will be gone but God's creation remains. 

That God answers prayers is a statement of fact. It is not only when we turn to him that he hears our prayers. No, it just a plain fact that God hears prayers. And because he does, he draws us to Him, people like us who acknowledge His presence and preeminence at these times. I would you both to go to God in prayer often. 

We may not have the inclination to spend hours or even minutes in prayer. Few people do. But at every chance and every remembrance, whisper a prayer. When we travel and we remember someone say a prayer. When we wake up and when we go to sleep just pray a few sentences. If we have a need, pray to God. A few short sentences anywhere and at any time will do. We will then cultivate an attitude that acknowledges God as someone, though beyond us, is infinitely greater. Yet we can always bring a need, a fear, an anxiety, a joy, a laughter, an inspiration to Him and He will hear us."

The picture of the Good Shepherd makes me feel secure. See how the lamb is folded within the left arm of Jesus! And on the right hand is the staff to ward away things evil, destructive or predatory.

The hymn, 'My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me.' reminds us that we can put our trust in God at all times. When we experience the storms of life, when we appear to be in the lions' den or in a dark alley, Jesus is there keeping and watching over us.

1. I trust in God wherever I may be,
   Upon the land, or on the rolling sea,
   For come what may, from day to day,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
   • Refrain:
     I trust in God, I know He cares for me;
     On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
     Though billows roll, He keeps my soul;
     My heav’nly Father watches over me.
2. He makes the rose an object of His care,
   He guides the eagle through the pathless air,
   And surely He remembers me;
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
3. I trust in God, for, in the lion’s den,
   On battlefield, or in the prison pen,
   Through praise or blame, through flood or flame,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
4. The valley may be dark, the shadows deep,
   But, oh, the Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
   And through the gloom He’ll lead me home,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Lionel

Updated Article, Previously posted on 25 May 2007

A Time for Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" Matthew 5:9

In the late 1960s, Simon and Garfunkel made a recording of 'Silent Night' superimposed over the typical 7 o’clock news over the US TV channels. One cannot miss the sarcasm, sleeping in heavenly peace at such times?

Things have not changed. On the 16 Dec 2012 the world woke up to the headline news, 'Gunman kills 26 in US elementary school massacre'. What is so disturbing is that the victims included 20 five-year old children. On the 28 Oct 2018 a shooting in a Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh killed 11 victims while they were worshiping. One year earlier in Las Vegas 59 were shot dead and more than 500 injured after a gunman using automatic weapons fired on the crowd at a country music festival. On the 24 Dec 2019 protesters in Hong Kong who held a Silent Night protest march clashed violently with the police. This Christmas, the Covid-19 variant, Omicron, threatens the world.

We may cynically proclaim the irrelevancy of Christmas and its message of peace and goodwill among men.

The cornerstone of the United Nations quotes from Micah 4:3, 'They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up sword against nations, neither shall they learn war any more.' 

But can peace can be achieved between nations when it cannot be achieved between individuals? Can peace between individuals be achieved when it is not found within a person?

A Chinese proverb reads

'If there there is a light in the soul,

There will be beauty in the person,

If there is beauty in the person,

There will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the house,

There will be order in the nation,

If there is order in the nation,

There will be peace in the world.

Is there light at the end of this dark tunnel? 

 

'You (God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, is the Rock eternal.' Isaiah 26:3-4 

An individual at peace with God, is at peace with himself and with others. That peace frees us from fear and removes the barbs of our anxieties. This personal peace bring the most satisfaction, the greatest relief and the deepest comfort. There will be tranquility within. 

'The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.' Isaiah 32:17. 

In World War I, a Christmas Truce of 1914 was declared and the carol 'Silent Night' was sung. Along the war front, German and Allied troops downed their weapons and reached out their hands toward each other and exchanged Christmas greetings.

Let's make peace with each other, for God has given us this Benediction, His blessing of peace 

'The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Lionel

Updated article. 1st Published 17 Dec 2007

Living With Pain

'My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal' Ecclesiastes 21:1

Rugby and football players often have injuries and yet they are told to start a game and play through the pain. The American football coach Vince Lombardi used to tell his players, "Men, you can only win the big games when you learn to play with the little hurts of life." Many sports enthusiasts console themselves over pain during training with the reminder, no pain no gain. This is the reality.

Timothy Keller introduced his book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (Ref 1) with this sentence, 'Suffering is everywhere, unavoidable and its scope overwhelms'. Keller bravely recognised pain and suffering as a reality of life and we are often subjected to forces beyond our power to manage. 

Even as we may blithely accept the reality of pain, we should always sympathise with those who are undergoing the suffering and anguish. Their major concern is not just the relief of it but how can they survive it, how can one get through the ordeal without losing the best part of oneself. Suffering can strip away at our humanity and dignity; our personal survival.

A major concern borne out by the life of Job is that life can be unfair. There seems to be no correlation between whether we do wrong or right compared with the rewards or the suffering we get from life. While we may accept that life can be difficult, undeserved suffering is very difficult to accept. 

Many people reject God because of the experience of pain and suffering in their lives especially when they feel that they do not deserve the predicament. How can a good God allow such misery? 

What will be the response for Christians? 

In the book, the Çity of God', St Augustine spoke of suffering and opined that what matters is not the nature of the suffering but the nature of the sufferer. How has it affected us? How has it shaped our lives? Is it creating a movement in our souls that directs us to God?

When Christians face pain and undeserved suffering, it might do well for us to remember that Jesus endured the cross. A bitter agony which He bore for us. He paid the ultimate penalty for our sins and hung there on the cross, crucified. There is a negro spiritual 'Were You There When They Crucified the Lord' to remind us that Jesus also suffered.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

This acceptance of pain is not a stoic, fatalistic or cop-out response. Christians see always an element of God's grace wherein God is in control and will eventually put things right. Even if it does not lead to the removal of the pain, God's grace will lead to mitigation and alleviation of the suffering. It is not surprising then, that for as many people who may reject God because of pain and suffering, others find God instead. Timothy Keller surmised, "I learned that just as many people find God through affliction and suffering. They find that adversity moves them towards God rather than away." This was exactly the conclusion and meaning of Psalms 34:1-3

'I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.'

• Praise can be uttered by the mouths of the privileged as well as the deprived
• Reality of pain and suffering should be recognised not ignored nor rejected
• Blessings will also come for the afflicted too
• The worship of God will uplift our souls and help us survive our suffering

Inevitably, we, growing older, will have to deal with our frailties. Our physical bodies will fail us, some suffering from disease will be in pain. Living with pain will become a reality and at this stage we need to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of this adversity. There is no fear. Enjoy this song, How Can I Fear?

 

When shadows fall and the night covers all

There are things that my eyes cannot see.

I never fear, for the Saviour is near.

My LORD abides with me!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

When I'm alone and I face the unknown

And I fear what the future may be,

I can depend on the strength of my Friend!

He walks along with me.

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Jesus is King! He controls everything!

He is with me each night and each day.

I trust my soul to the Saviour's control;

He drives all fear away!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Let us take comfort that there is no tragedy we will face, no hardship we will endure and no adversity we will encounter where God is not with us, steadily holding us up with his mighty hand. This is why people find God in the midst of their pain and adversity. C.S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience but shouts in our pain."

Lionel

Ref 1: Timothy Keller, Walking With God through Pain and Suffering. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 2015 

He Touched Me

'For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'John 3:16 

He Touched Me. The first time I heard this song was in 1982, twenty years after it was first written. I was sitting on the floor of the Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a very famous place to listen to Jazz music for free, a small crowded shop house near Bourbon Street where jazz musicians would gather each night to play. A tall bearded Negro stood up and with his banjo played this song. I sat there enrapt by its plain lyrics and simple rhythm. It became my favourite Christian song. 

This is a song about salvation. Salvation is the greatest event in the Christian life; it marks the start of it. I was saved in 1967. I distinctly remembered that day after school, I attended a Youth for Christ meeting at Wesley Methodist Church. I had been searching for a belief in a God whom I could relate to. Before this time I had either been exposed to ancestral worship at home or brought in front of idols in Chinese temples. I did not find any meaning in that kind of worship or belief. 

At the end of the YFC meeting, a person named Charlie Tan whom I have not met again since, introduced me to Jesus Christ, telling me that through Christ, I can be saved from my sins. More importantly, I could be restored into a rightful relationship with Christ. That day, I accepted Christ as my personal Saviour and have not looked back since; for the rest of my life, which is now going on towards 70 years and beyond. That day Jesus touched me. 

I did not know it then but this song, He Touched Me, encapsulates the experience of my Christian life:

Shackled by a heavy burden,

'Neath a load of guilt and shame.

Then the hand of Jesus touched me,

And now I am no longer the same.

He touched me, Oh He touched me,

And oh the joy that floods my soul!

Something happened and now I know,

He touched me and made me whole.

Since I met this blessed Saviour,

Since He cleansed and made me whole,

I will never cease to praise Him,

I'll shout it while eternity rolls.

He touched me.......

The touch of Jesus put me on the path of developing a relationship with God. Up to that time, original sin and my own sins got me shackled and imprisoned. Oscar Wilde (Ref 1) wrote: 

... And thus we rust Life's iron chain

Degraded and alone:

And some men cursed and some men weep,

And some men make no moan

But God's eternal Laws are kind

And breaks the heart of stone.

And every human heart that breaks,

In prison cell or yard,

Is as that broken box that gave

Its treasure to the Lord,

And filled the unclean leper's house

With the scent of the costliest nard.

Ah! happy those whose hearts can break

And peace of pardon win!

How else may man make straight his plan

And cleanse his soul from Sin?

How else but through a broken heart

May Lord Christ enter in?

We speak of the salvation we received as a touch from the Lord but we should not presume that it was so simple nor cheap. Salvation is free to us but it is costly to God. It costs God his only begotten Son.

The late Rev Billy Graham was the most effective evangelist that ever lived. He preached salvation. But he did not make it sound easy even though miracles happen when he gave the invitation to receive Christ as millions came forward. He preached God's plan for all of us to be saved and pointed out what needed to happen:

1. All are sinners and stand under the judgement of God. 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' Romans 3:23. Graham said that we might believe that we are good enough to win God's favour or that we can perform certain religious acts to counterbalance our bad deeds but 'There is no one righteous, not even one.' Romans 3:10

2. We need to understand what Christ has done to make our salvation possible. Christ died on the cross as the complete sacrifice for our sins. He took upon Himself the judgement that we deserve.

3. We must repent of our sins. Graham said repentance carries with it the idea of confession, sorrow, turning and changing, God's gift of eternal life becomes ours only when we take it. We must turn from our practice of sin as best we know how and turn by faith to Christ.

4. There is a cost of coming to Christ and following Christ. A person must determine to leave his sins behind and turn from them. Jesus declared, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23. Graham preached, it costs to follow Christ but it also costs not to follow Christ.

5. Salvation is intimately linked to the cross. Graham asked, "Why was Calvary's cross so special, so different from hundreds of other crosses used for Roman execution?" It was because on that cross, Jesus suffered the punishment for sin that we all deserve. He was our Substitute. He suffered the judgment and condemnation of death that our sinful nature and deeds rightfully deserve.

6. Faith is essential for salvation. We must be absolutely clear on what we mean when we speak of 'salvation by faith.' Faith means more than intellectual belief. It involves trust and commitment in which we commit our lives to Jesus and trust Him alone as our Saviour and Lord.

After Billy Graham preached millions came forward singing the song, 'Just as I am' which means asking Jesus to receive them, heal them of their sins and lead them to everlasting life. Perhaps many were just overcame by the emotions of the moment but many others knew not only in their minds but in their hearts and spirits what they were doing. They were determining their fates from that day forward. That was when Jesus touched our lives and we never looked back since. 

Lionel

Ref 1: Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol. 1868

Water Everywhere Yet Not A Drop To Drink

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" Matthew 5:6

The Rime (Rhyme) of the Ancient Mariner was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798. It tells the story of a mariner, who was doomed to sail aimlessly through stormy seas and adrift in hot endless oceans. They were endlessly drifting because the ancient mariner, on an impulse, shot and kill an albatross who was leading the ship out of the Antarctic ice sheets on which they were trapped. The ship's crew blamed him for their misfortune and placed the dead albatross around his neck. 

The Albatross Around His Neck

The Ancient Mariner struggled to find a meaning to his suffering and solutions to the long-term predicament but to no avail. At one point the ship ran out of water in a lifeless ocean which spawned the memorable line in this poem, "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink."

Like the sailors in the tale, we find ourselves adrift searching for answers to questions during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Why is it taking so long for the pandemic to pass? Will we be able to maintain our jobs and livelihoods? We try to find meaning to this suffering and grief that affected so many families. We are apt to lay blame on anyone and anything. Some may even blame God. 

Yet, this is exactly the right time to look to God. The Bible often spoke of times of famines, hunger and thirst during which people turned to God. During such times we look to God to be filled. In his struggles, the Ancient Mariner managed to pray, the albatross finally fell from his neck, his guilt was expiated and his suffering alleviated.  

"Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" is a refrain of despair. There are other words about thirst and water, the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is one of reassurance, "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

This conversation, Jesus Met The Woman At The Well was made into song in the 1960s and sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. It began with a simple question by Jesus, "Will you give me a drink." Jesus was thirsty and He knew it; conversely the woman was thirsty but she did not know. He led her step by step, going over embarrassing facts about her life, until she  realised her greatest need. She met Jesus, He transformed her life. 

My elder daughter, Debbie said, "It is so amazing how Jesus always had the right words to say to people. He was able to tailor his conversation to inspire the educated as well as the despised. At the well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and he offered her the water of life. How appropriate, to be meeting at a well and talking about water! It was the right thing to say at the time." 

We are all seeking for answers especially now than ever before. There will be an appropriate word for us today. Come to Jesus, Come to the Water.

You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!

And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I'm here to remind you that for those tears I died."

Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.

Lionel

More Like Christ

Basilica of St Francis, Assisi Italy

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross….So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up.” Heb 

Who has lived a life like Christ?

In Sep 2007, Pat and I went to Assisi to retrace the footsteps of St Francis in the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside of Italy. I wanted to discover who this man was. What did he bring to the Christian faith? What was he trying to tell us? Was he a recluse? Was he a callow fellow who melodramatically stripped himself naked in the public square to repudiate his past rich and material life; returning to his father every possession to embrace poverty? Was he a lunatic who would speak to animals and birds? Was he an idealist who did not think a second thought when he kissed a leper and ministered to their colony? Was he a masochist who inflicted on his physical body, the very physical sufferings of Christ?

Contemplation

In visiting the places that venerated his memory and learning about his life, I discovered that St Francis was a Christian who took seriously, the commandment to become more like Christ. What was remarkable was that he physically and not just symbolically or spiritually lived out the life of Jesus as he understood from the Gospels. If Christ said he had no place to lay his feet or to place his head, St Francis did that. If Christ said to go two by two to witness without bringing anything other than the cloak on their backs, Francis complied to the letter. If Gospel described when going about witnessing to depend on the hospitality of others and go a-begging for food, Francis followed.

After visiting Carceri, a mountain top retreat that Francis frequented, I wrote, "Once in a while, there comes a man or woman whose life and witness came so close to mimicking the life of Jesus that they reflected God's image so as to inspire all of us". 

By his life, ministry, writing and witness, Francis was an example extraordinaire. Francis pointed many in his generation and for 8 more centuries afterwards, towards God. It is no wonder then, that the Basilica of St Francis and all Assisi celebrate the saint. In fact, the brochure claims that it is a spirit filled place. 

I do not feel that there is anything wrong to admire St Francis, as I do, so long as one understands his position as a reflection of the infinite beauty of our Lord Jesus. One of his biographers wrote, “Francis presented to the world a new fascinating way to live a Christian life. His greatest contribution was to demonstrate how to live the Beatitudes literally and by doing so helped solve the problems that plague his society. He did that by renouncing its affluence and privileges and taking on poverty chastity and complete obedience.”

To underscore this, a prayer he made kneeling at a crucifix towards the end stages of his life clarifies, “All highest, glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly your holy will. Amen”

One would have thought that such an example would be so hard to follow that few could give up all and join Francis in his calling to live both spiritually and physically the example of Jesus’ life on earth. Instead in just a few years, more than five thousand disciples chose to renounce their riches and to live like him, a life of poverty and service. By the time he died, Francis had already been venerated as a saint; his life has become a stirring example of True Christianity. 

Lionel

Eleanor - When A Child Is Born

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward”. Psalms 127:3

Our granddaughter, Eleanor was born on the 23 Feb 2011 at around 7.47 p.m. Like the birth of her elder brother James, I waited anxiously throughout the pregnancy for Eleanor’s arrival, all the time not knowing what kind of a grandchild will be given us from God but always trusting in His providence.

Every birth is a miracle. I stared at Eleanor and watched her move, cry and open her eyes. I cannot help but feel so proud as a grandfather. The name means the bright and shining one. In this child, gift of God, is the hope of the future. The song, ‘When A Child Is Born’ sums up this hope and exhilarating feeling so appropriately

A ray of hope flickers in the sky

A tiny star lights up way up high

All across the land, dawns a brand new morn'

This comes to pass when a child is born.

A silent wish sails the seven seas

The winds of change whisper in the trees

And the walls of doubt.. crumble tossed and torn,

This comes to pass when a child is born.

A rosy dawn settles all around

You got to feel you're on solid ground

For a spell or two no one seems forlorn

This come to pass when a child is born.

It's all a dream, and illusion now.

It must come true sometime soon somehow

All across the land dawns a brand new morn

This comes to pass.. when a child is born.

This song celebrates the birth of any child, anywhere in the world but it lends itself to an association with the birth of Jesus Christ. It is this greater miracle of the birth of Jesus which offers hope and joy to the world and from whom, every newborn, like Eleanor, gives the same expectations and brings their individual glimmer of hope.

Every child is God’s gift. Psalms 139:12-14 states, 

'For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.'

The Catholic Media House made a video, “The Miracle of Life” which shows us how amazing and wonderful the gift of Life is that God has blessed us with.

God is the creator of Life. Every child is special and wonderfully made. Jer 1:5 states, 

'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you are born I set you apart...'  

Eleanor is a blessing from God.

Lionel